Bruce Springsteen in Croke Park: Concert promoter Peter Aiken reveals biggest fears ahead of show

Concer promoter Peter Aiken has admitted he has “sleepless nights” about the financial risks of hosting major artists.

Mr Aiken of Aiken Promotions is gearing up to welcome Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band to Dublin’s Croke Park on May 19.

And while the US rockstar will play to a sell out 80,000 fans at the GAA stadium, Mr Aiken says he still worries about the financial risks of hosting major artists.

Asked if he has sleepless nights, Mr Aiken said: “Oh yeah. I get anxious, the world is anxious. It’s things like the weather, the weather is crazy.

“You are anxious about everything you want. You’ve sold that amount of tickets, you want people to have the best, you want them to come and enjoy it.

“You want the stewards to do a good job, you want the guards to do a good job, and the catering people. You want everyone to do a good job and most importantly you want Springsteen to love it.

“He also loved that he was playing in a stadium that is for amateur sport. He’s been doing this since he was 16. That’s tough – every night he’s on and he has to make that show so special. People love him.”

Bruce Springsteen will play Croke Park this summer

Mr Aiken revealed at a press conference in Croke Park on Monday afternoon that Springsteen will have played to one million Irish fans by the end of his summer run in Ireland.

The 74-year-old American rock star has been performing concerts in Ireland for 40 years, and will perform in Belfast, Kilkenny, Cork and Dublin as part of his world tour this summer.

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band will take to the stage at Boucher Road in Belfast on May 9, Nowlan Park in Kilkenny on May 12, Pairc Ui Chaoimh in Cork on May 16 and Croke Park in Dublin on May 19.

Mr Aiken said that very few artists have sold one million tickets in Ireland, north and south of the border.

“One million people in Ireland will have been to see him. It’s phenomenal,” Mr Aiken said.

The gig boss also said Springsteen’s Irish fans are among the youngest in the world.

29/04/2023 – Peter McKenna Croke Park Stadium director,Shane Mates head of operations Aiken Promotions and Inspector James Clavin at a media briefing with An Garda Síochána, Aiken Promotions and Croke Park for the upcoming Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Concert.

“I think young people listen to him with their parents. They are in the car and then eventually they do like it,” he told the PA news agency.

“I said that to my kids when they were listening to Bob Dylan, that one day you will like it, and they do now.

“There are people my age at the concerts but there’s a lot of young people who go too, it’s great. It’s just the way we are here. It will be amazing.”

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Croke Park officials reminded concert fans that the stadium is in a residential area and have been urged to be respectful of residents’ property.

Fans have also been urged to use public transport to get to the concert, and to use buses, Dart and the Luas.

Bruce Springsteen performs at MetLife Stadium on August 30, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey

People have been advised to plan their route and how they will get to the venue and to check their tickets to establish where they are entering Croke Park.

Peter McKenna, Croke Park stadium director, said: “A big concert like this is great for the city but it’s very important to stress to fans when they come up to the (concert) that they are coming into a local area and to show respect to the local community.

“We’re really looking forward to seeing one of the greatest acts. He is starting at seven o’clock, there’s no back-up. The man, I don’t know where he gets his energy from, but he’ll give it everything, that’s for sure. So it will be a great night for all those who are here.”

Shane Mates, head of operations at Aiken Promotions, said Springsteen and his band will play for around three hours.

He said Croke Park will open at 5pm, with the concert starting at 7pm and there will be no support act.

He said Springsteen will be off stage by 10:30pm in accordance to Dublin City Council’s strict curfew.

Mr McKenna said: “We’re really looking forward to seeing one of the greatest acts. He is starting at seven o’clock, there’s no back-up.

“The man, I don’t know where he gets his energy from, but he’ll give it everything, that’s for sure. So, it will be a great night for all those who are here,” he added.

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